Dispensing container



June 17, 41941. A. c. MUELLER DIsPENsING CONTAINER Filed Sept. 27,'1939 Patented June 17, 1941 UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICEY A,

DrsPENsING CONTAINER Alois o. Mueller, chicago, nl. Application september 2v, 1939, serial No. 296,713

' (ci. zal- 67) f 101mm This invention relates to improvements in dispensing containers and one of the objects of the same is toI provide an improved sanitary dispensing device of this character having a valved discharge outlet, the valve being adapted to be operated by placing a receptacle in contact with mechanism attached to the valve and pressing the same, whereby the contents of the container will be permitted to be discharged therefrom, and when the receptacle is removed from contact with such mechanism the Valve will be closed to shut off the discharge of the contents of the container.

A further object is to provide an improved dispensing container adapted to be applied to a container having an open end and which container is provided with threads or fastening means encompassing such opening, whereby a closure may be attached thereto.

A further object is to provide an improved de-f vice of this character in which the valve and the operating mechanism therefor is supported en.. tirely by the closure and is attachable to the container by the attachment of the closure, al1 of the operating parts of the valve being disposed outside of the container.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty and substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of a device of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3-3, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan View of the closure.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral I designates generally a container having an open end II and which container may be of any desired size and configuration and constructed of any suitable material.

A closure I2 is provided for the open end and this closure ispreferably in the form of a cap having internal threads vI3 adapted to engage peripheral threads I4 on the container Il) and which latter threads encompass the opening II.

The closure I2 is provided with a discharge outlet opening I5 therethrough and the opening is preferably of a conguration to increase in size from one end i6 to the other end i1 thereof.

Arranged on opposite sides of the opening I5 are guides I8 and a valve I9 is slidably mounted between the guides I8 so as to open and close the outlet opening I5. This valve is preferably prof vided with beveled edges 29-21 so as to facilitate the movement of the valve through the contents o-f the container. Operating mechanism is provided for actuating the valve I9 and this operating mechanism may be of any suitable configuration but preferably comprises a U-shaped spring member 22 which is secured or anchored to the closure I2 at one end, as at 23, so as to depend below the closure when the container is held in an inverted position, and the other end 24 of the member 22 is secured by means of a suitable fastening device 25 to the valve I9.

The end 23` may be anchored to the closure I2 in any suitable manner such for instance as by means of a band 26 or may be imbedded or otherwise secured to the closure.

The operating member 22 may be of any desired width but is preferably substantially narrow with respect to its length and secured to the portion 21 thereof is a guide or receptacle contacting member 28. This guide or member 28 may be of any desired size and configuration but is preferably concaved so that a portion of a receptacle 29 may be placed thereagainst and by pressure exerted upon the receptacle 29 the arm 21 of the member 22 may be forced backwardly so `as to cause the valve I 9 to slide in a direction to open the outlet I5.

When the outlet I5 is thus opened, contents from the container I0 will be discharged into the receptacle 29. By releasing the pressure of the receptacle 29 against the arm 21 of the member 22, the inherent resiliency of the arm 21 will cause the valve I9 to move backwardly so as to close the outlet I5. l

If desired, an agitator 30 may be secured to the valve I9 so as to agitate the contents of the container I0.

If desired, a spout or chute 3| may be connected to the Valve I9 to move therewith and this chute or spout is adapted to be moved into and out of register with the opening I5 when the valve I9 is opened and closed. When the chute or spout is positioned in registering relation with the outlet opening I5 and the valve I9 open, it

will operate to direct the material being discharged from the container I 0 into the receptacle 29.

'I'he container I0 is adapted to be held in. an inverted upright position and to that end there may be provided a bracket 32 having spaced arms 33 and which bracket is adapted to be secured to a support 34 by means of suitable anchoring devices 35 such as screws or the like.

The container l0 may be provided With a peripheral open recess 36 adjacent the outlet opening, and the recess 38 is adapted to receive the arms 33 of the bracket 32 to hold the container l0 in such Vertical position.

With this improved construction all of the operating mechanism for the valve i9 is disposed outside of fthe container and when it is desired to ll the container it may be removed from the bracket 32 and inverted from such position, and. the closure I2 removed. By the removal of the closure it will be manifest that the valve and all of the operating mechanism therefor will also K be removed.

While the preferred form of the invention has tion and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claim, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

A dispensing container embodying a jar having a neck provided With external cap fastening means, a cap for the jar including an annular flange for removable attachment with the jar, a spring element, one end of which is secured to the cap, said spring element being bent back upon itself to form spaced portions of substantial length, said cap having an opening therethrough, a slide for controlling said opening, means connecting the other end of the spring to said slide, said slide being movable to uncover said opening by pressure exerted upon one of said portions of the spring by a receptacle forced against the latter, and a spout supported by the last said portion of the spring and positioned to overhang the edge of and discharge into said receptacle.

ALGIS C. MUELLER. 

